Hospital Plans New Home For Health Center

Winter Park Memorial Hospital has scrapped plans to continue using the city's former civic center for its wellness programs and will build a new center instead.

The public will have a chance to scrutinize the plans when the planning and zoning commission examines them at 7 p.m. Monday at city hall.

Construction of the $3.5 million center, just behind the former civic center, could begin as early as March and be completed in late 1989. Hospital administrator Willard Wisler said the old center would continue being used during construction and will be demolished after programs are transferred into the new building.

Features planned for the center make it impractical to renovate the old building to include them, Wisler said.

Increased traffic and parking generated by the new center were the main concerns expressed by members of the commission at a workshop luncheon at the hospital Thursday.

Wisler said the luncheon was held to have the commission express concerns informally and help the hospital come up with answers before the formal hearing. A meeting with residents of neighborhoods around the hospital was scheduled for Saturday, he said.

Plans for the 35,000-square-foot center include an indoor running track, a pool, whirlpool, locker rooms, racquetball courts, exercise equipment area, children's area, and a physical therapy area for people with sports-related injuries.

Commission member Rachel Murrah reminded Wisler there had been significant neighborhood concerns in the past about how new services and buildings at the hospital would affect traffic in the area.

Wisler said those who will use the center most will be hospital employees and people on their way to or from work. The highest use would be in off-peak traffic hours, he said. The center now operates from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

However, no estimate of how many people could be using the center at any one time was given. A total of 131 parking spaces would be added to the site and access would be provided to another 139 spaces being used by the hospital. Roger Pierce, commission chairman, said although each new building may have little effect on traffic, residents are concerned about the hospital's long-range building plans for its properties off Lakemont and Mizell avenues. Wisler said it is difficult to predict what the hospital will want to do in the future. It does plan to build an extension to its physicians office building, and is looking into building a helipad and a cancer therapy center.